A/N - Here is the last chapter of this arc. Thank you to all the readers, especially to those of you who have posted reviews and have PMed me. I have a question at the end of this chapter that I would really appreciate an answer to. Warning Sarah asked for Chuck's help in getting her ready for the exhibition skating. I'll let you guess what happened. ;)
Chapter 13
Drs. Eleanor Bartowski and Devon Woodcomb stood in the doorway of the hospital room taking in the sight before them with deep concern on their faces. Monitors beeped in the background and the harsh light from the ceiling fixtures provided an eerie feeling to the room. Chuck was lying on his back with his face completely covered in bandages except for his mouth and right eye and Sarah was sitting on a chair next to his bed holding his hand with her head on the mattress. She was asleep.
Twelve hours earlier
Pandemonium broke out at the Canada Hockey Place. The euphoria of seeing the winning goal scored resulted in hats being thrown all over the ice in celebration of Chuck's hat trick. Scoring three goals in a game is a great feat, but having the last one a game winner makes it that much more special. Sarah jumped up and down and turned to hug Emma, Mary, Jack and Stephen, unaware of what was happening on the ice.
Chuck's teammates on the ice all raised their sticks in the air and headed over to Chuck to celebrate. Team Russia dejectedly skated toward their bench. When Crash Thompson got to Chuck he reached down with his hand to help him up, Chuck didn't respond. Crash grabbed his hand and pulled up "Come on Chuck. You can't be that tired." Chuck was totally limp and Crash, suddenly alarmed, bent down further and turned Chuck over onto his back. He was horrified. Crash yelled "Medic, get a medic over here now!" The referee skated over and looked down. He almost lost his lunch. Some of Chuck's other teammates arrived where Chuck was a moment later and saw his condition. Rage erupted from them as they looked at their fallen teammate and they turned and raced after Gabrienko who had just sat down on the bench. The players started yelling and screaming at the Gobbler and tried to get at him.
Sarah, hearing all the commotion, turned around and wondered what was going on. She looked out and tried to see Chuck but was blocked by the players standing and screaming by the bench.
"What's going on?" cried out Sarah. "Do you see Chuck?"
Stephen and Jack who were sitting a little farther down the row could suddenly see the situation on the ice as a gap between the players opened up and they could see Chuck lying there unmoving, with his face covered in blood. They looked at each other and their first thought was get to Sarah before she saw this. They stepped toward Sarah and just before they got there, she saw Chuck. Her eyes went wide and she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Chuuuuccckkkk!" She tried to climb over the seats in front of her to get to the ice. Jack grabbed her and held on tight as she struggled to get loose.
"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!" She screamed. "I have to get to Chuck. Let. Me. Go!"
Emma just now seeing Chuck grabbed Sarah from the other side and held on for dear life with Jack. Being an athlete, Sarah was quite strong and she was furious and scared out of her mind, making her even more difficult to hold. Stephen and Mary joined in to help control the blonde fury.
The players on the ice noticed what was going on in the stands and stopped their scuffling. Team USA of course all knew who Sarah was and now realized what this must be doing to her. Even Team Russia was not immune to the Chuck and Sarah love story. Some of the Team Russia players played in the NHL and were teammates and friends of the US players. They too had heard all about it and were charmed by it. Yuri the Gobbler had been devastated after the goal and turned immediately away from Chuck. He knew he hit Chuck hard, but he was aiming for his shoulder, not his head. So, he thought Chuck had simply lost his balance reaching to tip in the winning goal. It wasn't until later when he watched the replay that he realized what he had done. He felt horrible as he didn't want to injure anyone.
The medical team made it on the ice, placed Chuck on a stretcher and immobilized him. They picked him up and made their way through the tunnel to take him to an ambulance. Sarah had finally stopped struggling and Jack just kept Sarah's face pressed to his shoulder so she couldn't see and freak out again. Sarah just sobbed "I need to see Chuck. Don't you understand? I need to see Chuck!" Jack and Emma just soothingly talked to her. "We know, sweetie. We'll take you to see Chuck as soon as we can. Just as soon as we can."
A few minutes later, a security guard quietly approached the group. "Excuse me. Ms. Walker?"
Stephen and Jack, who were closest to him turned and glared at him with a look 'can't you see we're trying to keep her under control?
The guard was undeterred. "Ms. Walker. Mr. Bartowski was awake for a few moments and asked for you before he lost consciousness again. The doctors think it would be a good idea if he knew you were nearby. Would you like to ride in the ambulance with him to the hospital?"
Sarah immediately straighted up. "Chuck asked for me?"
"Yes ma 'am. Please come this way."
"Where are they taking him?" Stephen asked.
"Vancouver Memorial"
Sarah came up to the security guard and asked "Where do I go?"
He pointed to the top of the stairs. "The two policemen will escort you to the ambulance. It's at the south exit by the locker rooms."
"I know where that is."
Sarah hurried to the top of the stairs, nodded to the policemen, and took off running. The policemen had no choice but to run after her. When she got to the exit, the back of the ambulance door was open and she could see Chuck's feet. The doctor intercepted her before she climbed in.
"Ms. Walker?"
Sarah nodded.
"Mr. Bartowski sustained a severe blow to the head that was compounded by the fall. He has several facial fractures, a broken jaw, broken nose, grade 3 concussion and a hairline fracture on his skull. We will monitor him for brain swelling. He is unconscious but it would be good for you to let him know you are here. Just talk to him quietly and hold his hand. When he was awake for a brief bit of time he called out for you. The only thing he said was 'Sarah. Where's Sarah? I need to see Sarah. I love her.' It was a little difficult to understand him because his jaw was broken, but he was understandable enough. He must love you very much."
Sarah looked at the doctor with tears streaming down her face. "I know, doctor. And I love him just as much."
As she was climbing into the ambulance the doctor said "I understand that his sister is a neurologist. We have contacted her and she will be meeting us at the hospital."
Sarah acknowledged him with a nod and said "Thank you, doctor."
Sarah settled in next to Chuck with the ambulance attendant on the opposite side. His face was covered in bandages and an IV was dripping into his arm. She took his hand in hers and kissed the back several times.
"Chuck. C'mon please wake up…. Chuck, listen to me, I'm here… Chuck, I'm here….. I'm right here Chuck…. Chuck please, c'mon….. Chuck, please, I love you…. Please wake up. I have so much that I want to tell you…. I can't wait for your proposal. It doesn't have to be on the beach in Malibu, but a sunrise or sunset might be nice. There doesn't have to be any race cars involved….. Chuck, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don't care if you can play ice hockey or not. Without you, I'm nobody. I'm nothing but a figure skater….. Come back to me Chuck. I want to marry you."
Sarah wanted so badly to plant a gigantic kiss on his lips right then but thought better of it. Instead she pulled all the feeling she could muster and kissed the back of his hand while she squeezed it. She looked up at his face and he opened his eyes for a moment looked at her. He smiled with his eyes and the corner of his mouth rose. Chuck gently squeezed her hand back and tried to speak, but no sound came out. Instead, he reached for her left hand and took it in his. He gently stroked the ring finger of her left hand with his thumb and winked at her. Sarah knew at that moment that he had heard her and new tears streamed down her face. Chuck tried to speak again, but couldn't. He continued to stroke her ring finger and tried to smile. After another minute, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
The ambulance attendant tried to look away and give the two lovers their privacy, but couldn't. He was mesmerized by what he witnessed as he had never before in his life seen such a deep love and devotion.
After Chuck was taken off the ice, order restored and the hats cleared, the referee went through the formality of actually finishing the game as there was one second left on the clock. The puck was dropped, the puck was sent to the side boards, and the horn sounded, bringing the end of the game.
Up in the TV press box, the following discussion took place.
"That was as exciting a game as you will ever see. It is tragic that it ended on such a sad note with what looks like a severe injury to a fine young man and player."
"You're right, Dan. Instead of imagining a great NHL career for Chuck Bartowski, we're wondering if he is OK and will be able to live a normal life."
"Whenever there is an injury to the head, Brent, you're always concerned of the potential effects on the brain."
"When I played," said Brent, I had my bell rung a few times and it was before people had the knowledge about brain injuries and concussions that they do now. I'm sure the doctors are taking every precaution possible with Chuck and I know I speak for everyone here and in our viewing audience when I wish Chuck a full and complete recovery."
"Well said and stay tuned as we will share any updates on Chuck Bartowski's condition that we receive. Good night, and the final score was USA 4 – Russia 3. "Dan Daniels, along with Brent Mongomery, signing off."
Back to Present
Ellie asked Devon "Do you think we should wake her so she can go get some rest? She's been here all night and Chuck won't wake up for a few hours since he is sedated."
"Just leave her be, Ellie. If I was in her shoes and you were on that hospital bed I wouldn't want to leave either. How do his brain scans look?"
"Fortunately there was no swelling and no indication that there will be a problem in the future. It's good that he was wearing a helmet."
"The plastic surgeon they have on staff was excellent and did a great job on his jaw and cheek bones. My main worry is his left eye. The blow to his head caught Chuck right by his eye socket and cracked it. The surgeon did a great job on that too, but his eye is a little slow to respond to his periphery. We'll have to wait and see if the condition is temporary."
"There is one thing I'm more concerned about El."
"What's that Devon?"
"These injuries won't affect Chuck's lips, will they? I don't think Sarah will be able to keep her lips away from his much longer."
Ellie chuckled. "I'm more concerned about a different part of his body that is needed to keep Sarah happy. But that should work fine, too."
An hour or so later, Sarah woke up a little disoriented, but quickly regained her bearings. She stood up and looked down at the man she loved and watched him breathe, his chest rising and falling as he did. Sarah used the bathroom in his room and splashed water on her face before coming back out. When she did, she was happy to see her mom and dad. They brought Sarah a change of clothes and some coffee.
"How's he doing, sweetie?" asked Emma.
"About as well as can be expected, mom. The surgeries went very well and there is no sign of pressure on his brain. They are a little concerned about his left eye. His peripheral vision seems a little less than it should be. That wouldn't be a great concern for everyday life, but would be bad for an ice hockey player. We're hoping that it's temporary."
Jack said "Why don't you go get some fresh air for a few minutes. We'll stay here with our future son-in-law until you get back. Some of your friends are in the waiting room and would like to see you, too. Stephen and Mary are going to bring you lunch in an hour or so."
Sarah gave them each a hug and said "Thanks mom and dad. If my future husband wakes up, be sure to come and get me."
"Will do, sweetie."
Sarah went to the waiting room and was shocked to see so many people there for Chuck. Some of the people were Carina, Cole, Bryce, Lindsay, Diane, Morgan, Alex, Casey, Crash and half of his other teammates (they decided to come in shifts) and even a few from the other teams, including the Russians. Sarah hugged her friends and greeted everyone there and thanked them for coming to support Chuck. They all asked about Chuck's condition and she told them the basics and that his prognosis was good. She kept quiet about the eye for the moment. Sarah excused herself for a moment to go outside for a bit of fresh air. Fortunately it wasn't too cold as she didn't bring her jacket. When she made it outside, she was suddenly surrounded by the media, shouting out questions. Being totally caught off guard and exhausted from the events of last night and the lack of sleep, Sarah burst into tears and ran back inside.
The media immediately started speculating what was the cause of Sarah's distress. As you might expect, they assumed the worst.
"Carly Crawford of Canadian Sports Network here on the latest news regarding Chuck Bartowski's condition. Sarah Walker, Chuck's girlfriend, came out of the hospital a few minutes ago. Upon exiting the hospital, the large media contingent began shouting out questions to her. Looking up at the media, she became very emotional and turned around and went back inside. We don't know for certain what brought on the tears displayed by Ms. Walker, but it is the consensus of the media gathered here that it must be because her beloved Chuck has taken a turn for the worse. The hospital does not allow the media inside their facility and the family has not allowed the doctors to speak to us."
By now, Sarah had returned to the waiting room and everyone there looked stunned. Even Stephen and Mary who had just arrived looked shocked and Mary took Sarah into her arms. "It's OK, Sarah. We're here for you. Don't worry. I know Chuck will get better."
Sarah leaned back from her future mother-in-law. "Did something happen to Chuck that I don't know about? Everything was going as well as can be expected when I left his room 30 minutes ago."
Carina spoke up. "I guess you didn't see the media reports just now."
"What media reports?"
"A Carly somebody just reported that Chuck's condition must have worsened because you burst into tears when you went outside a few minutes ago."
"What! Oh No. I was just going outside to get some fresh air and wasn't expecting them to be out there. I guess I kind of freaked out. What should I do?"
Stephen looked kindly at her and smiled. "After what you have been through freaking out is normal. If it's OK with you, Mary and I will go talk to them and maybe arrange a press conference that Ellie and Devon can handle. I don't think you are quite up to handling the media right now."
"Thank you Stephen. That would be great."
Stephen handed Sarah a bag and whispered "We brought you lunch. Although I don't think you'll want to eat it here in front of all these people."
Sarah smiled and nodded. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."
"You're welcome. Mary, shall we go tackle the media?"
Mary nodded, and they headed outside.
When they walked through the door, Stephen shouted out "May I please make a statement for the media?"
They all murmured and stopped what they were doing.
"My name is Stephen Bartowski and this is my wife, Mary. We are Charles's parents." The media members were suddenly in rapt attention.
"We decided to come out here to straighten out a misunderstanding. We saw the media reports a few minutes ago speculating that Charles had taken a turn for the worse because of what happened when out future daughter, er, Chuck's girlfriend, Sarah, had come outside, burst into tears
and went back inside. Please let me assure you that as of this moment, Chuck is recovering from his surgeries and is doing as well as can be expected at this stage of his recovery."
"Then why was Ms. Walker so emotional when she came outside?" a reporter shouted out.
Mary spoke up. "Please remember what the poor young woman has been through the last 16 hours."
The door to the hospital opened up and out stepped Jack and Emma. Mary turned and looked questioningly at them. Emma said quietly, "She's back with Chuck now. Hopefully eating her lunch. Thank you for doing that."
Mary smiled and said softly, "Anything for my future daughter-in-law."
Emma smiled back and nodded.
"As I was saying, please cut our future daughter er, Sarah some slack. She has been up all night with the man that she loves, had not left his bedside from the moment he got out of surgery until the time she walked outside to get some fresh air. Needless to say, she was not expecting to be bombarded with questions from the media right then and she became overwhelmed with emotion. I'm happy to say that Emma, here, told me that Sarah is right now where she wants be, at Chuck's side waiting for the sedatives to wear off. And no, none of you are allowed inside. That will be a very private moment for two people who are totally and completely in love and devoted to each other."
Someone else shouted out "If you don't mind me asking, how are Emma, is it?, and the other gentleman who just came out involved in this situation?"
Jack came forward. "I am Jack Walker and this is my wife, Emma. We are Sarah's parents. We were in with our future son, er Chuck, when Sarah came out here and visited with some of hers and Chuck's friends in the waiting room.
Emma added, "Sarah asked me to apologize for any confusion she caused by her reaction at seeing all of you. She said she will be willing to talk to you tomorrow for a few minutes assuming everything is progressing normally with Chuck."
"One more question. Please. We keep hearing a Freudian slip where it sounds like Chuck is going to be your future son-in-law and Sarah your future daughter-in-law, yet you stop. Are Chuck and Sarah engaged?"
Jack, Emma, Stephen and Mary all look at each other and Jack decided to speak. "As the future father of the bride, I guess it's most appropriate for me to answer that question since Chuck and Sarah aren't here to answer this question directly. The best way to answer that question is to say not officially, but it will happen very soon, we think. The only person that truly knows the answer to that question is Chuck, and his jaw is wired shut for a few weeks. I can tell you this, that he asked for permission from Emma and I to marry Sarah and of course we heartily agreed to his request. Sarah knows that Chuck is going to pop the question to her and Chuck knows that Sarah will say yes, so it's just a matter of when. Chuck told us that he wanted to make it really special for Sarah. So, the Bartowskis and the Walkers consider them already engaged, just not officially.
"One more thing," Stephen added. "We know you have a lot of questions. So, we will hold a press conference with two of Chuck's doctors at 7pm tonight."
A little while later, Sarah had finished her lunch and was sitting by Chuck's bed holding his hand and talking softly to him. Ellie and Devon had stopped by and declared that everything was looking good and for her not to worry.
The lack of sleep was catching up to Sarah. She terribly missed snuggling up to her favorite pillow, Chuck. Looking at the bed she thought there would be room for her. Since the IV and monitors were hooked up to him on his right side, she climbed up on the bed and laid down on his left after removing her shoes. She took his left arm and put in around her shoulders and laid her head on his shoulder. Sarah instantly fell asleep.
Stephen, Mary, Jack and Emma decided to check on Chuck and Sarah. They opened the door to his room and peeked inside. What they saw warmed their hearts and Emma silently walked in, found a blanket, and covered them up. After quietly closing the door, they headed back to the waiting room.
By mid-afternoon, the sedatives began to wear off. Chuck could hear the beeping of the monitors in the room and he thought for a moment about where he was. His right side was a little cold and he felt a few foreign objects attached to his skin. His left side however, felt nice and warm and something smelled very nice. What was that scent?, he wondered. His thoughts became more coherent and he realized that it was Sarah's perfume. Sarah. His mood instantly brightened. He felt a weight on his shoulder and arm and opened his eyes, but realized one was covered up. He could see a faint amount of light through the bandage so he wasn't alarmed. Chuck turned his head to the left and saw beautiful blonde hair. Sarah's hair. He looked at her through his eye and saw she was asleep. He didn't want to disturb her slumber but needed to touch her. Shifting his left arm, he started to gently stroke her hair and Sarah responded by snuggling closer into his side. Chuck bent his neck and kissed the top of her head. Sarah responded with a "Mmmmmmm. I love you Chuck." Chuck tried to talk. "Ah wuv uu toooo, Saruh." It was difficult to speak with his jaw wired shut.
Sarah now realized that Chuck was awake and lifted her head and smiled broadly at him. "You're awake!" Chuck nodded and tried to smile. He was able to raise the corners of his lips a little. He reached out and touched her cheek. Sarah asked "Is it safe to kiss you?" Chuck nodded rapidly which caused Sarah to smirk. "Miss my lips, Mr. Bartowski? Chuck nodded emphatically. Sarah leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips, lingering there for a few moments. After she pulled back and rolled onto her right side, Sarah asked coyly "Is there anything else that you miss, sweetheart?" Chuck smiled with his good eye and tried to make his lips look seductive. It didn't work. So, he took his hand from her cheek and slowly slid it down her neck onto her collar bone and down to her left breast. She placed her hand on his and squeezed, enjoying the feel of him touching her. "Feeling a little frisky, Mr. Bartowski? Chuck nodded. "If I'd known that, I would have taken off my bra. But that's your department, isn't it, sweetie?" Chuck tried to laugh, but it came out more like a snort.
Sarah reached out to Chuck's chest and made lazy circles through the hospital gown. She leaned down and kissed him again and his hand never left her breast, gently massaging it. Sarah continued to make circles on Chuck as her hand drifted lower and lower. Their breathing started to get faster and faster and Chuck's heart began to race, causing the monitors to set off alarms. Ellie, who happened to be nearby, burst into the room fearing the worst. After taking two steps into the room Ellie stopped suddenly as she saw Sarah on the bed and realized what was going on.
"Sarah Bartowski, just what do you think you're doing?" Ellie asked in a stern voice with a smirk on her face.
Sarah looked back over her shoulder at Ellie, giving her an annoyed look, but never moving her hand. Neither did Chuck. Sarah smirked "Exactly what it looks like, Doctor."
"Don't you know your future husband here was severely injured? Ellie said with a smile.
"Oh yes, Doctor, but it looks like he's recovering nicely, don't you think so?" Sarah responded with a wink.
Ellie couldn't help but notice the tent that had formed in the bedcovers just below Chuck's waist. That got a chuckle out of the good doctor.
"How long has Chuck been awake, Sarah?"
"Long enough," Sarah quipped.
Ellie laughed and Chuck snorted. "Seriously Sarah, how long?"
"Oh, I would say about 20 minutes. I was going to come and get you but I sort of…, got distracted."
"Humph," Ellie smirked. "Please let me examine him before you send his blood pressure through the roof."
Sarah reluctantly removed her hand and climbed down from the bed. She held Chuck's hand to her breast until she was standing and then kissed it and set his hand back on the bed.
"I'll go tell everyone in the waiting room that Chuck's awake," said Sarah.
"OK," said Ellie. "Come back in about fifteen minutes."
At precisely 7pm, Devon and Ellie started the press conference in the hospital's largest conference room. They opened with a statement on Chuck's condition.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the media, my name is Dr. Eleanor Bartowski and this is Dr. Devon Woodcomb. We have been authorized by the family to discussed Chuck's current medical condition and prognosis for recovery. As you may have guessed, I am Chuck's sister, but I am also a neurologist. Dr. Woodcomb is a cardiologist and happens to be my fiancé. And no, Chuck and Sarah have not talked to us about a double wedding."
Laughter rose from the media members after that comment.
"In layman's terms, Chuck got beat up pretty bad. (This got a chuckle from the audience.) While in the process of scoring the winning goal, Chuck received a blow to the head at his left eye, breaking his eye socket and rendering him unconscious. Being unconscious, Chuck fell face first onto the ice breaking his nose, cheekbone and jaw. Fortunately, he did not lose any teeth. The fall also caused a hairline fracture of his skull and a grade 3 concussion. The helmet he was wearing kept his injuries from being much worse. A concern with any head injury is brain swelling. We have monitored Chuck's brain continually since he has been admitted to the hospital and we are pleased to report that there has been no indication of swelling at any time. His jaw has been wired shut and will stay that way for 4 weeks. Surgery was also performed to reset his nose, eye socket and cheek bone. We believe his prognosis for a complete recovery is excellent, although it will take several months. That concludes our statement and we will entertain your questions at this time."
"Carly Crawford CSN. How are Chuck's spirits after this latest injury?"
Devon answered. "That's easy. His spirits are directly related to whether a certain blonde is in the room with him." This got a chuckle from the audience. "When Sarah is with him, he is very happy. Of course Sarah is only happy when she's with Chuck, too."
"Bill Barnes, Vancouver Evening News. "Did Chuck incur injuries to any other part of his body?"
Devon again answered "Not from the last game, although he did receive bruises over large areas of his back, chest and legs from the hit he took in the quarterfinal game."
"Harvey Wallace, NHL Blog. Will he recover enough to be able to play in the NHL?"
Ellie responded this time. "Whether or not Chuck gets a chance to play in the NHL depends on a lot of factors. He will need several months to fully recover, so the earliest he could even think about playing would be in training camp for next season. Secondly, will a team still want to sign him? Finally, will he still want to play after all that he has been through? Of course I think Sarah will have some input on that decision."
Several other questions were asked and answered and the press conference was concluded. Ellie kept her concern over Chuck's peripheral vision in his left eye to herself as she was hopeful that it would come back on its own after the eye socket was reset.
After being held in the hospital one more night for observation, Chuck was released with the proviso that he be transported in a wheelchair for the next three days. This meant that if he wanted to go to the closing ceremony, he would have to go in a wheelchair. Chuck also wanted to watch Sarah skate in the figure skating exhibition and see the gold medal ice hockey game between Team USA and Team Canada.
Since Chuck wouldn't be able to eat any solid food for a while, Devon gave him and Sarah some of his favorite protein shake and smoothie recipes. Since it was difficult for him to be understood with his jaw wired, Chuck used his iPad to communicate with Sarah, although private messages of love and affection were communicated in a much more intimate manner.
Before leaving to go to the Pacific Arena for the skating exhibition, Sarah asked Chuck what costume she should wear and he typed out the gold one, since she was the gold medalist and that she had a heart of gold. Sarah grinned at his answer and decided to put on a private show for him while she got ready. She took out her costume and laid it on the bed next to where he was sitting, along with her tights and a thong. Her costume had no back to it so she wouldn't be wearing a bra underneath it. Sarah was currently wearing a tight sweater and her blue jeans. After kicking off her shoes, she sidled up to Chuck and sat on his lap, wiggling her beautiful behind as she did. She crossed her legs, one at a time and removed her socks. When that was done, she raised her hands over her head.
"Chuck honey. Will you help me with my sweater? I'm afraid I might get it stuck on my hair."
Chuck gladly reached grabbed the bottom of her sweater and pulled it up over her head, leaving her in her lacy black bra. Chuck peppered her back with kisses as best he could with a broken jaw.
"Thank you, sweetie. I couldn't have done that by myself." She stood up from his lap and wiggled her perfect ass in his face and said, "I need some help with my jeans. The button and zipper are really giving me problems lately." After another wiggle which made Chuck gulp, she spun around and faced him and put her hands on his shoulders. Chuck reached out and grabbed the waistband of her jeans and pulled her closer and kissed her repeatedly below her breasts. Sarah giggled and he undid the button on her jeans and pulled down the zipper, revealing matching lacy black knickers underneath. Chuck slid his hands inside her jeans and squeezed Sarah's perfect behind and then very slowly slid them down her legs until she stepped out of them.
Now down to her underwear, Sarah spun back around and wiggled her ass again and sat down on Chuck's lap, pushing herself against him as she did. Noticing that she was getting the reaction from Chuck she was hoping for, she leaned back against his chest and said "Sweetheart, could you please unhook me? I'm just all thumbs tonight." She lifted her hair off her back and it up on top of her head, exposing her neck. Chuck tried to laugh, but it again came out as a snort. He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her neck, causing Sarah to shudder. Chuck massaged her shoulders over to the straps and slid them off to the side. Still kissing her neck, he slid his hands down her back and unhooked her bra and let it fall to her lap. Chuck continued kissing Sarah's neck and back and slowly reached around her waist and up to cup her beautiful breasts in his hands. Sarah moaned with pleasure at his touch and she reached behind her and found him fully erect. With Sarah standing up again, Chuck's hands slipped to her waist and the waistband of her knickers. "Chuck, honey, can you help me with my knickers, as she wiggled her hips. I like your thumbs better than mine." That got another laugh/snort from Chuck and he hooked his thumbs in the waistband and pulled her knickers down to her feet where she stepped out of them.
Now completely naked, Sarah wiggled her perfect ass for Chuck and he put his hands on her hips and spun her around to face him. Chuck was always amazed at her beauty and her perfectly proportioned body. He pulled Sarah close and had her straddle his lap, leaving her open before him. Using the tip of his tongue, he began to stimulate her nipples, causing moans of pleasure from Sarah. He ran his hands down her sides and over the outside of her legs and then to the inside, until he reached her center, where he inserted a finger and then two to manually stimulate her. Sarah's breathing quickly became irregular and rapid and her heart pounded in her chest until she climaxed at Chuck's touch. Now totally on fire, Sarah wanted nothing more than to have Chuck inside her. She quickly removed his pants and boxers and straddled his lap again and guided him in. They quickly got into a perfect rhythm and Sarah came again and then again before Chuck picked her up and placed her on her back. Sarah put her legs up on his shoulders so he could go even deeper and then they climaxed together leaving them spent and out of breath.
Forgetting that Chuck had a broken jaw and a broken nose, Sarah pressed her mouth to his, causing him to wince in pain and gasp. Realizing what she had done, she pulled back and profusely apologized. Chuck tried his best to talk to her. "Sat's OK Saruh. Ah luv uu an' sat was wundrful."
Sarah grinned back and said "I love you too, and that was fantastic and wonderful as it always is. Can you please hand me my underwear?"
Chuck lifted the corner of his lips in a smile and stood up and handed Sarah her thong, which she slipped on before putting on her tights. Chuck had put his pants back on and watched as Sarah finished putting on her costume.
When she finished, Sarah came over to Chuck and said "Will you do one thing more for me sweetie?" Chuck nodded vigorously which brought a grin from Sarah. "I need you to please make sure that my costume is in place so I won't have a wardrobe malfunction." Chuck laughed/snorted. Sarah put her arms out to the side and slowly turned around and then lifted up her hands over her head as she turned around some more. After doing that, she assumed various spin poses and bent and stretched in different directions while Chuck thoroughly enjoyed the view. When done Sarah asked, "Did any of my lady parts pop into view? I don't want that to happen because my lady parts are only for you and your man parts." Chuck laughed/snorted at that and Sarah smirked back at him. He then pulled Sarah to him and kissed her gently on the lips and then proceeded to gently run his hands all over her body through her costume, causing Sarah to shiver. Chuck then grabbed his iPad and typed. "Just one last check. It's a perfect fit."
Sarah smiled coyly. "If you do that again, we'll be late for the performance."
Chuck just gulped.
Chuck thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition performances from all the figure skating medal winners. It was fun seeing back flips and other moves that aren't allowed in competition. Bryce and Sarah were brilliant as always, bringing the crowd to their feet. Sarah was absolutely gorgeous in her costume and thanks to Chuck's 'thorough' inspection, there was no wardrobe malfunction.
Chuck, Sarah and Bryce met with their friends at a coffee house after the performance. They met there instead of a bar because Chuck couldn't drink any alcohol due to the medication he was on. Morgan and Alex shared snowboarder stories as they are known as free spirits and Carina told about her ski buddies. After an hour or so, Chuck became really tired and Sarah decided it was time to take him home. While pushing him outside in his wheelchair, a group of fans spotted him and asked for autographs and pictures. Sarah played the role of photographer for Chuck and Chuck did the same for Sarah.
Once back in the penthouse, Chuck and Sarah shared a romantic shower and after drying off, enjoyed a blissful night's sleep in each other's arms.
Excitement filled the air for the gold medal hockey game. Team USA was glad to have Chuck there for moral support even though he couldn't play. In fact, the team wanted him and Sarah to be on the bench during the game so they gave Sarah one of Chuck's Bartwoski Number 39 jerseys to wear, which was several sizes too big. Still she looked very cute in it as she could make anything look cute. Chuck put on his jersey too and he wore his helmet with a faceplate for protection in case of an errant puck.
During the warm up, all of the players came by to shake Chuck's hand, including the Canadian players. The public address announcer introduced Chuck to a standing ovation and he stood and waved back. Team USA wanted to do everything they could to win a gold medal for Chuck, although they knew it would be a difficult task without him on the ice. Team Canada was outstanding and had the best player in Sid the Kid as he was the best player in the NHL. Still, it was expected to be a close game due to the emotion behind it.
The puck dropped to start the first period. Team USA won the draw and took control of the puck. Frank Sharp was filling in for Chuck on the top line at center along with Perry and Brown on the wings. Brown passed the puck to Sharp at the red line who chipped it forward to Perry in stride and he carried into the zone. Setting up at the top of the circle, he spotted Crash Thompson moving in from the point and passed it to him. Crash blasted a one-time slap shot that beat the goalie but clanged off the post. Chasing his own rebound, Crash got to the puck first and skated behind the net. Looking for a teammate to pass to he spotted Sharp at the top of the left circle and passed him the puck. Sharp skated in closer and fired a shot and the goalie made a stick save. Crash coming out from behind the net grabbed the rebound and sent a pass to Perry at the top of the circle. Perry held on to the puck before firing a low shot that was wide of the mark. Brown skated into the corner, fought off the Canadian defenseman and took control of the puck. He saw Crash Thompson back at the blue line and fed him a pass. This time Crash caught the puck perfectly and blasted a one-timer past the goalie on the glove side. Team USA 1 – Team Canada 0. The Team USA bench all stood and cheered along with the Team USA fans who were outnumbered here in Canada. Chuck and Sarah sat at the edge of their seats watching the game. Sarah was especially excited to sit on the bench and enjoy the game from so close up.
The rest of the first period and all of the second were tight checking affairs with Team USA doing everything in their power to hang on to their lead. Team Canada probed and attacked the defense but couldn't break through. Team Canada had taken more shots on goal, but couldn't find a way to score. Coach Casey barked orders from the bench and told everyone to stay out of the penalty box. When the second period ended, the score remained 1 – 0 in favor of Team USA.
In the third period, play really opened up. The action went end to end and shot after shot was taken. The pro-Canada crowd stood and chanted, urging the players on for a tying goal. Midway through the third period a penalty was called on Team USA for hooking and Team Canada went on the power play. After camping out in the attacking zone for the entire two minutes, the crowd was very disappointed that Team Canada couldn't get the tying goal.
Time was winding down to the final minute of the game. Team Canada had pulled its goalie in favor of an extra attacker as there was a face off deep in Team USA's zone. Team USA had done a remarkable job keeping Sid the Kid off the score sheet and he was taking the face off for Team Canada. Sid won the face off and sent the puck out to the blue line where it was controlled by his devenseman. Team Canada passed the puck around expertly trying to pry open Team USA's defense. Finally a small gap in the passing lanes opened up and Sid the Kid headed in front of the net. The pass reached him and Sid flicked a wrist shot on goal from point blank range. Somehow the goalie made an unbelievable save and kept the puck out of the net. The puck was just lying there outside of the crease waiting for someone to reach it. Crash Thompson got there first and tried to clear the puck. He whiffed on the first attempt. The crowd was on its feet screaming loudly. It was deafening. On his second attempt he sent the puck high off the glass to clear the zone. There were 20 seconds left. The puck bounced off the glass and landed on its edge on the ice at the red line. It rolled toward Team Canada's empty net. All of the players were in Team USA's zone and turned to see the puck. Perry from Team USA and Ryan from Team Canada raced down the ice after the puck. The puck kept rolling and rolling until it reached the goal line where it flipped flat and stopped right on the line but did not cross it. The race was on and the crowd was going wild. Perry and Ryan were side by side racing down the ice after the puck. There were ten seconds left. Approaching the goal both Perry and Ryan dove for the puck. It was like time had almost stopped and everything was happening in super slow motion. Perry reached out a little farther than Ryan and reached the puck first with the bottom edge of his stick. The puck edged across the goal line and the red light went on with five seconds left. Team USA now led the game 2 – 0. The majority of the crowd groaned but then started cheering for their team and for witnessing such a great game. The final face off was just a formality and the game was soon over. Team USA jumped onto the ice in celebration and Chuck and Sarah couldn't stop hugging each other.
Chuck was invited out to the podium to receive his gold medal and the crowd cheered the loudest when his was put around his neck. In interviews after the game every player said that their inspiration for winning the game was to win it for Chuck. Needless to say, Chuck was overwhelmed by what was said and he couldn't believe what an incredible Olympic games this has been. The gold medal, of course, was only the icing on the cake after meeting Sarah. Sarah's love was the most incredible gift he would ever receive in his life.
The closing ceremony was a fun and exciting, yet melancholy affair for the athletes. The games were just over two weeks of excitement, drama, disappointment and celebration. Sarah pushed Chuck around the stadium in his wheel chair and later on, she sat in Chuck's lap and Morgan pushed them around. They were both wearing their gold medals and taking everything in. The cameras spent a lot of time focusing on the two lovers as they went around the venue. When the Olympic flame was extinguished and the ceremony was over, Chuck and Sarah said goodbye to as many of their friends and fellow athletes they could. Afterward, they headed back to the penthouse for one last night in Vancouver before heading home. Chuck, after heading home to Los Angeles to take care of some business, packed up some of his belongings and drove up to Lake Arrowhead to be with Sarah as she and Bryce prepared for the World Championships. Lindsay had decided to follow Bryce and joined him there a week later. Even Bryce Larkin had decided to make a commitment.
Turin, Italy, One Month Later
Walker and Larkin were the prohibitive favorites to win gold at the World Championships after their Olympic triumph. They did not disappoint. Sarah and Bryce proceeded to set record scores in both the short program and long program and Chuck and Lindsay, who were sitting next to each other in the stands, stood and cheered for their loved ones for a job well done. After the medal ceremony, they went out to dinner and Chuck was happy that he could start to eat some normal food as they removed the wires from his jaw before they left for Italy. What Chuck was happiest about was that he could talk normally again. The two couples bade each other good night and went to their own rooms for their own private celebrations.
Five Days Later, Lake Como, Italy
Chuck drove their rented car along beautiful Lake Como and into the parking lot for the Villa del Balbianello. The nerd in him was excited to be there because it was used in the filming of Star Wars Episode II. He walked around and opened the door of the Porsche he rented for this very special occasion. He wanted everything to be perfect. Sarah took his arm and they went inside. After checking in at the tour desk, they waited for the tour to begin. Unknown to Sarah, Chuck had arranged for a private tour for them. When their tour guide took them around the villa alone, Sarah began to suspect something was up, but decided to keep quiet. Her heart was soaring in anticipation. At the conclusion of the tour, the tour guide left them on a secluded balcony overlooking the lake. Chuck turned and faced Sarah and took both of her hands in his. They leaned in and shared a kiss. Sarah looked out over the lake and said as she turned back to face Chuck.
"I've been to so many places around the world, but I've never been to a place as beautiful as this."
"I have. Every day. Every morning I wake up and I look at you. When we brush our teeth tandem style. When we watch TV together. Anything. Everything. Always. Whenever I look at you it's the most beautiful place I've ever been. I I feel like I should be James Bond right now. You know, the guy that's standing right now with you on this balcony, I mean…."
"I didn't fall in love with James Bond. I fell in love with you."
Chuck gulped and patted his pocket to make sure the ring was still there.
"Sarah, I I'm I I'm gonna ask you a question right now, s so please don't freak out, OK"
She nodded and said "I won't."
"I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Whether it's skating around the ice, writing programming code, cooking dinner or driving you to medical school, I just want to be with you, at your side, always."
Chuck reached into his pocket, pulled out a red box and opened it. Inside was a one carat brilliant cut diamond that sparkled in the light. Sarah looked down at it and looked back up at Chuck with a huge grin on her face.
Chuck got down on one knee, fearing that the CIA, NSA and FBI would descend on their special moment and ruin it. Thankfully, nothing of the sort happened.
"Sarah, will you marry me?"
Sarah dropped down to her knees and crashed her lips into his.
After they came up for air, Chuck asked, "I take it that it's a yes?"
Sarah laughed and said, "Yes, yes, oh double yes yes, Chuck. Yes, I'll marry you!"
This time Chuck crashed his lips into hers and after they came up for air again Sarah asked "Don't you have something to slip on my finger, or are you just going to keep that it its box?"
This time, Chuck laughed, took out the ring and slipped in on the third finger of her left hand. It fit perfectly. She lifted up her hand and held it up in the sunlight. "It's beautiful, Chuck. I'll proudly wear it for the rest of my life. I'm glad I belong to you and you to me."
They stood and held each other and looked out over the lake. The sun was just starting to set and the moment was perfect. Chuck and Sarah leaned in and shared a kiss full of promise. A promise of a real future and a life together for as long as they lived. With their arms wrapped around each other, Chuck and Sarah watched the sun set over the lake.
A/N 2 –We have reached the end of the first arc of the story. I would appreciate some guidance from the readers as to whether I should keep this as a single story or should post it as three separate stories. Please PM me or post a review and let me know what you think. Thanks.
A/N 3 – I have a confession to make. I was originally planning on having Canada win the gold medal as that was what actually happened in Vancouver. However, when writing this part of the story, I felt it was best for both Chuck and Sarah to win gold, so I changed my mind. Apologies to my Canadian readers. :)